There have been numerous letters to the Butler Eagle in recent weeks urging that so-called “assault weapons” be banned. The 2nd Amendment has nothing to do with hunting or target shooting, but was intended to serve as the ultimate deterrent against a tyrannical government. In the 20th century, governments murdered approximately 262 million civilians, primarily their own citizens. That is four times as many civilians as were killed in all wars combined. In most of these countries, the government blueprint was the same: register all firearms, confiscate all firearms, then enslave or murder their own people. According to George Washington, “A free people ought not only be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government.” While our political leaders are attempting to disarm us, the Department of Homeland Security has purchased more than 1.6 billion rounds of ammunition and countless “assault weapons.” The Homeland Security Department does not fight wars abroad; it is strictly a domestic agency. Why does it need so much ammunition for domestic use? The ammunition that the department purchased is not for training. It is hollow-point ammunition meant to kill. The armed citizens of this great nation serve as the ultimate buffer against tyranny, and that is what separates us from the rest of the world. For those who still do not respect our God-given right to self-defense, I want to provide a quote from American statesman and Revolutionary leader Samuel Adams: “If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsel or your arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that you were our countrymen.” I ask all who love freedom to stand with me and make their voices heard. We cannot cower from this assault on our freedoms. Instead, we must stand together and guard this freedom from all who wish to take it from us.